It's Life or Death, Really
by Firestorm Nauralagos
Summary: Snotty Theurgist Sabrina is not always what she seems. It's possible that below her rude, conceited surface, there's just a sad little girl who misses her mother, presumed dead for years. Even when she is put into a school she despises, Sabrina will have to use the power she's been given-and maybe a bit of attitude-to save the only person she's ever cared about. On hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: Day One

_**A/N:**__ Who here dislikes stereotypes, such as "Life Wizards are only good for healing?" __***Waves hand in the air.* **__That's partly the inspiration for this story. "It's Life or Death, Really" is the back story of Sabrina Jadeleaf, one of my O.C.'s from "The Destiny of Fire's Song." You don't have to have read one to enjoy the other, necessarily, but it may be helpful. :) _

_**Disclaimer: I'm running out of good disclaimers for Wizard101 stories. If you have any, review! If you don't, review anyways! I love getting reviews. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (That's a good thing, by the way . . .) I own nothing but my O.C.**_

_**Thanks to my beta reader, Starwhisker of Thunderclan :)**_

_Finally: Comments, constructive criticism, etc. etc. etc. are always welcome. No flames, please; I may like fire, but not THAT kind of fire. xD Please be polite about any critical things you wish to say, and I will willingly accept them. :)_

Sabrina Jadeleaf fidgeted in her chair. She _should _have been eating her lunch, but it was _far_ more interesting to watch her twin cousins pack for Ravenwood. Chris and Tyler Mythdream were both twelve, and they were about to head back to the school of magic after a fun summer vacation in Mooshu. The two Conjurers had told her _everything_ about the school; they'd told her who the best-and worst- professors were, what Myth spells they'd learned, what they'd chosen for their secondary schools (Chris had chosen Storm, and Tyler, Balance) what the school looked like, who was in their classes, who they knew … Sabrina could see a clear picture in her mind of Ravenwood whenever she listened to her cousins' chatter.

"I can't wait until _I'm _old enough to go …" the ten-year-old muttered, crossing her arms and glaring at the carpet. It wasn't _fair! _She was smart enough to start school! In pre-magic school, she'd even skipped a grade; Sabrina would be starting sixth grade, and she would be the first person to attend both sixth grade _and _Ravenwood. Pre-magic school was boring, anyways! It was all just reading, writing, grammar, math and science, with a little geography in fourth and sixth grades. There wasn't anything interesting that she could do with _numbers_ when she could be summoning trolls and minotaurs instead!

"You'll be able to go next year, Troll, and you'll love it." Chris gave her a wide grin as he pulled two books off the shelves in the next room.

"I'll be a Conjurer, just like you guys," Sabrina declared firmly. "Myth is the best school to be in."

"You got it," Tyler called. "We've trained you well, Troll." The twins laughed as they headed back upstairs.

Sabrina's Aunt Barbara turned around from the sink, wiping her wet hands on the apron she wore.

"Sabrina, are you done with your sandwich yet?"

"No," she replied reluctantly.

"Well, hurry up with that! You won't get any taller if you don't eat your food, and then you'll end up like me: short and puffy." She patted her rather large stomach fondly, chuckling as though she'd made a good joke.

Sabrina rolled her eyes in disgust, and gave the sandwich a disdainful look. The sandwich was below her; why should she have to eat something so disgusting when there were other foods, better foods, ones that were of her level? It wasn't like peanut butter and jelly (she _despised _strawberries) was going to make her a better Conjurer. If anything, it would just make her fat. _Like Aunt Barbara, _she thought meanly. Had she not been trying to choke down a sandwich with _strawberry jelly, _the ten-year-old might have regretted her thoughts. Not likely.

_**-ONE YEAR LATER-**_

At last, it was Sabrina's turn to enter Ravenwood! She could barely contain her excitement as she hurried towards the Headmaster's Office, a small blue bag slung over her shoulder. Of _course _she'd be chosen to be a Conjurer; there was no doubt. She knew _everything _about the School of Myth. She knew every spell and how much damage it did. She knew the entire history, starting from when it was first invented in Mooshu, back in the time of the Moodha. The Headmaster would _obviously _be impressed with her knowledge; maybe he'd even let her skip a year.

She waited anxiously for her turn to enter the enormous building, fiddling with her hair and her bag strap as the time ticked by. When the white owl- Gamma? - came to bring her inside, he'd barely begun to speak when Sabrina was halfway up the steps to the Headmaster's office.

The elderly man was waiting patiently for her just inside the large, elegantly colored room.

"Greetings, Sabrina Jadeleaf. Are you prepared to enter this school of magic?" He asked her gently. She nodded immediately.

"Of _course_ I'm ready! I'm one of the smartest girls in all of Mooshu!" She told him. Headmaster Ambrose sighed softly. He'd been dealing with students like her for years and years, and new students with attitudes like Sabrina's never failed to exhaust him.

"Then please, step forwards and open the book." He handed the eager girl a pen, and she immediately began scribbling her answers into the book. She took only two minutes to finish the test, and the words disappeared, leaving behind the name of her school.

"_LIFE?_" She shrieked, dropping the pen.

"Yes, my dear," Ambrose told her. "You are a Theurgist."

"But … but … I wanted to be in MYTH!" She yelled, glaring at him. "The book lied. It had to!"

"The book doesn't lie, young wizard. You may choose Myth as your secondary school, if you'd like."

"Fine," she huffed, folding her arms. "I won't like Life, though. I hate the School of Life." Sabrina started to stalk angrily out of the office, but the Headmaster called to her.

"Sabrina, would you kindly wait a moment? There is something I must tell you; something very important … it concerns Celestia, and the disappearance of your mother."

Sabrina stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned to face him.

"My mother is dead," she growled, carefully enunciating each word. "She was killed by Morganthe the witch when she went to Celestia to stop her." The Headmaster shook his head slightly, giving her a strange sort of smile.

"Eight years ago, your mother went on a quest with three others-"

"Allie Sandstorm; the Sorceress, Mortis Starblade; the Necromancer and Torrence Swiftriver; the Diviner! I already _know _this story!"

"Ah, but clearly you have not head _everything, _my dear, if you still believe your mother to be dead." Sabrina was silent. "Marieta Jadeleaf did, as a matter of fact, go on the quest with Mortis, Torrence and Allie. They were our best wizards at the time; they were all Archmages, and they were at the tops of their classes. The four of them battled their way through Celestia and into the very inner sanctum of Morganthe's fortress there. They confronted her, but the witch managed to crush them with a single spell. Allie and Torrence were killed, as you are aware, and Mortis was left with a fatal curse, allowing Morganthe to find and kidnap him from wherever he was at any given time. Your mother, however …"

"She died- but she didn't die," Sabrina finished. He nodded.

"You are correct. From what Mortis saw, your mother fell dead with a spear through her heart. However, the spear was an illusion meant to fool him, as our intelligence has recently discovered. In truth, Marieta was put into a deep, deep sleep, and the moment Mortis was gone, Morganthe took your mother and disappeared. Therefore, when Mortis brought down the fortress in his anger, both women survived." The novice couldn't speak. The thought that her mother was alive was too great of a concept for her to understand, and she was overwhelmed by relief, joy- and rage towards the witch for taking away her mother.

"How do I get her back?"

"Oh, Sabrina! You are far too young and inexperienced to travel to Celestia; that world is filled with many dangers, all of which will kill you without hesitation. Only our strongest Grandmasters are allowed there; you will have to study hard for several years to reach that point."

"That's not what I asked! I asked how to get her back!" She yelled. The Headmaster seemed taken aback for a moment.

"Young wizard, Ravenwood's very strongest are currently working in Celestia, trying to discover where Morganthe has gone. The very moment anything is discovered, I will inform you- provided you swear an oath of secrecy, of course. This project is top secret, and it must not be discovered by the general public." Sabrina nodded impatiently.

"Okay, fine! I won't tell anyone! You _swear _that you'll tell me when the wizards find anything?" She insisted.

"Of course. If you work very hard, young Sabrina, you, too, may one day be sent to Celestia to help with the search. Here, you will need your novice robes." He waved his staff over her, transforming the girl's every day clothing into emerald green robes, boots, and a tall, pointed hat. "Now, you had better hurry along; Theurgy will be starting in a short time!"

Sabrina's face darkened at the thought of Life, but she nodded stiffly to the Headmaster.

"Thank you, sir," she grumbled, storming out of the office. Her mind was filled with questions, and her heart filled with emotions, but Sabrina Jadeleaf was determined to put everything in the back of her mind. She would focus on her studies, just like Headmaster Ambrose had instructed her. One day, she would find her mother- and kill the witch that held her captive.


	2. Chapter 2: The School of Torture

_**A/N: **__Thanks to my beta reader, Starwhisker of Thunderclan! :)_

Despite her efforts to seem expressionless and uncaring, Sabrina's thoughts were anywhere but school as she wandered the Commons, searching for her cousins. Her mother was alive. Her _mother _was alive. _Her mother … was alive. _Morganthe had captured her, and as soon as she was a high enough level, Sabrina was going to get her mother back- and kill her captor. The new Theurgist was jolted out of her thoughts, however, when she heard Tyler's voice.

"Hey, Troll! You're out already! How'd it go?" The Adept Conjurer grinned, leaning up against a tree and folding his arms.

"Awful," Sabrina spat, glaring at him and waving her new wand in his face. "The stupid book put me in the School of _Life!" _

"Oh, well, that's not as bad as it could have been," Tyler decided. "Life's not a bad school. It's got the best healing spells in Ravenwood, and the teacher's super nice."

"Of course it's bad! I wanted to be in _Myth, _like you guys!" She yelled, throwing the wand back into her backpack- _green_, she thought with a shudder. _Couldn't they at least give me a yellow and blue backpack?_

"Troll, you _do _know about secondary schools, right?" Reluctantly, Sabrina nodded. "Well, Myth can be your secondary school, then! Besides, Life's probably the most helpful school there is. You can heal others, not just yourself, and you can fight, too," Tyler told her as they walked towards Ravenwood.

"That's just the problem!" She cried, throwing her arms up. "All the other wizards will want me to be the healer, and they'll expect me to take care of them instead of fighting! I don't WANT to just heal others; I want to learn to FIGHT! If I'm a Theurgist, I'll have to rely on others to do the fighting _for_ me! I won't be able to-" she stopped. Headmaster Ambrose had made her swear that she wouldn't tell anyone, and that included her family. Thankfully, Tyler didn't notice her slip.

"Not necessarily," he began, but he was interrupted when Chris appeared in front of them.

"Hey, guys! Troll, what school did you get?" He asked. The Conjurer noticed her dark glare and green robes, and he winced. "Ooh. Bad topic, I'm guessing. Life, right?" His brother glared at him.

"I was just telling her how Life isn't that bad before you _kindly_ interrupted," Tyler told him. Before they could continue the conversation, a loud bell tolled.

"Hey, there's the class switch! We'd better get going, Troll; classes start in five minutes. We'll have just enough time to show you where your School is. What's your secondary school going to be?"

"You really can't guess?" Sabrina snapped. "Obviously it will be Myth."

"Hey, that's good! Myth is right after Life, so you'll be done in about two hours. We'll meet you outside the Myth School when your second class is over, and we can give you the grand tour."

"Fine," the new Theurgist grumbled, trudging slowly after her cousins.

-V-

Sabrina stared in dismay at her School. The place looked like an old farmhouse, complete with the dirty stone walls and the grass roof. She wouldn't have been surprised to see a goat grazing on the roof. There were stained glass windows in the sides, although they looked about a thousand years old. It wasn't even clear what the images were supposed to be anymore. Reluctantly, she stepped inside, ignoring the greeting from the twisted old cherry blossom tree just outside the door.

The inside was just as bad and farmer-like. Grass carpeted the dirt floor, and Sabrina grimaced as her boots became dirtier and dirtier. The entire room was filled with a thick, earthy scent, and a few shafts of sunlight served to brighten the place- although they didn't do a wonderful job. The crooked desks looked like they'd just been carved out of trees that morning, Sabrina observed, wrinkling her nose as she gingerly sat at a place in the middle of the room.

Standing in the front of the room, rummaging in a desk, was the woman Sabrina assumed to be the teacher. She was tall, and she wore a long sleeved, spring green dress. Her long red hair framed her thoughtful, birdlike face, and her head was crowned in a circlet of daisies, and a pair of small, round glasses was perched on the end of her nose. The woman looked up, noticed Sabrina, and smiled kindly.

"Welcome to the School of Life. I am Professor Drake."

"Sabrina Jadeleaf," the young Theurgist replied in a bored tone, removing her hat and dropping it onto the desk.

"Nice to meet you, Sabrina." She sounded far too nice; it had to be a trick.

"Yeah. Whatever." All that she could do was sit and wait for the torture to begin.

-V-

Class _had_ to be starting soon; forget about five minutes, it felt like it had been an _hour_ since she arrived. Many of the other students had arrived, filling in the seats around her. A quiet, tan skinned girl sat to Sabrina's right, giving her shy smile as she arrived. Sabrina had sniffed and looked the other way. Just as she was about to die of boredom, two strange- looking people passed her: a tall, thin man dressed in a black robe, and a girl about Sabrina's age, also wearing black.

"Mom! Guess what school I'm in?" The girl asked, giggling as she peeked out from behind the man.

"Hmm … I can't guess. Which one?" She asked, smiling widely.

"Death!" The girl stepped out from behind the man and ran to give the professor a hug.

"Oh, congratulations, Alex! Malistaire, you must be so proud of her," she laughed, glancing at the man. He nodded, and although he didn't smile, Sabrina noticed the happiness in his eyes. She also noticed that the novice Necromancer was staring at her curiously.

"What do you want?" She snapped, glaring fiercely at "Alex."

"I never said I wanted anything," Alex retorted coolly. "I'm visiting my mom, that's all. You don't have to be a jerk."

"Sabrina, Alex, there's no need to be rude," Professor Drake told us sharply. "Apologize now, both of you."

"Sorry, _Necromancer_," Sabrina said haughtily, saying the word "Necromancer" like it was dirty.

"The same to you, _Theurgist_." Alex's words had an equal amount of venom in them. Malistaire quickly steered his daughter (Or so Sabrina assumed) out of the Life School.

"Good riddance," Sabrina muttered. Unfortunately, the professor heard her.

"Sabrina, this school is not about superiority above others. Life is about acceptance, and although Death is not easily accepted, it is just as excellent of a school as any other. Death is a natural part of life. The two are endlessly connected, although it is often hard to see. Now, the next time you see Alex, I want you to be at least polite to her, and I'll tell her to do the same when she sees you. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor Drake," Sabrina grumbled, rolling her eyes. The professor sighed. She had a feeling that this would be a very long year.


	3. Chapter 3: GREEN?

_**A/N: **__Thanks to sportzdawg, scarletfireblaze and Scarlet SilverWeaver for reviewing! :) I've noticed something: I've been getting around two to three visitors per day, and yet I'm STILL not getting many reviews! Am I bad at writing, or something? I want to know what I'm doing wrong, what I'm doing well, etc. so I can improve my writing skills. I have anonymous reviews on, if that's the problem, and even if you just say one thing, like "You're doing good" I'll be happy. :) Reviews improve my mood considerably, and they tend to inspire my Muse, too. ;) _

_**In response to my reviews:**_

_**Scarlet SilverWeaver:**__ The Theurgist had pink hair in a ponytail, and she wore a light green robe, dark green boots, and a really tall, pointed dark green hat. I didn't notice her name. _

_**sportzdawg:**__ I have no problem with you just saying "Good chapter." :) Is there anything you think I could do better?_

_**scarletfireblaze:**__ Here's another update! Sorry about the slowness; my Muse is hanging out with Tempest Flame right now, although I'm getting there on this one. Thanks for your criticism; I'll try and edit that part. I'm glad you liked the title. :)_

_**Thanks to my beta reader: WritingBookworm! :)**_

_**In this chapter:**__ Two flashbacks, more about Sabrina's mysterious past, and how DID that girl end up with green hair?_

While Professor Drake droned on about imps, or something to that effect, Sabrina tapped her pencil on her desk, stared into the distance blankly, and pretended to listen while simultaneously thinking about her mother. She tried to remember the last time she had seen the Theurgist. It had been when she was three years old, over eight years ago…

_**Flashback: Eight years ago**_

_The tall, blond haired woman carefully packed her suitcase, folding each article of clothing carefully. Spare robes, spare hats, spare boots, extra wands, amulets, rings and athames. Everything was packed. Everything but one small photograph of Sabrina, which sat on her bedspread. Her daughter watched as she packed, her narrow green eyes following every move carefully. She brushed her long blond hair out of her face, which turned upwards to her mother._

_"Do you __have__ to go? Why can't you stay," she inquired. _

_"I've told you, Sabrina, the Celestians need my help. I've got three friends to help. Do you remember Evan?" She nodded. The young boy often visited the Jadeleafs. "His grandfather, Mortis, is a Necromancer, a very strong Necromancer, and I'm helping him, along with two of our other friends: Torrence Swiftriver, a Diviner, and Allie Sandstorm, a Sorceress. We're all very strong together, so we should be back soon."_

_"But WHY do you have to go to Celestia? Can't they find someone else?"_

_"There are no other Theurgists strong enough to help. There's a very mean witch rising to power, and she's trying to take over Celestia. The four of us have to stop her before she can accomplish that. Okay?" Slowly, Sabrina nodded._

_"Yes, Momma. When will you be back?"_

_"I'll return in a few years. Your aunt Barbara will be here to pick you up in a few minutes, and I'll leave once the two of you are heading back to Wizard City." _

_"Okay."_

Sabrina had been led out of her house and into the Mooshu streets by her aunt, and as they turned the corner, she'd stopped and stared back at her house. Marieta had been standing in the doorway, and she'd waved. Sabrina had never seen her mother again. Four years later, they'd been called to visit the Headmaster of Ravenwood. She remembered the day so well…

_**Flashback: Four years ago**_

_Seven year old Sabrina sat beside her Aunt Barbara, fidgeting uncomfortably in the straight backed, bright red chair. The elderly Headmaster folded his hands and stared at them sadly._

_"I regret that it is me that must deliver such unfortunate news, but it must be done. Sabrina, your mother is dead." She stared at him in shock. _

_"What?" He nodded sadly._

_"I'm afraid so, my dear. Morganthe was too powerful for the four wizards to overcome. Allie Sandstorm and Torrence Swiftriver were also killed; Mortis Starblade just escaped with his life, and he was inflicted with a terrible curse as he fled. I give you my utmost condolences." The seven year old sat there, stunned. Killed. Gone. Everyone that had traveled with her mother was dead, except for old Mortis Starblade the Necromancer. She slumped down in her chair, shocked to silence. The Headmaster stared at her sympathetically. _

_"Thank you for telling us, Headmaster," Barbara said, standing. The young woman touched her niece's arm, motioning for her to stand up. Slowly, Sabrina obliged, following her aunt out of the office._

_Later that day, Sabrina sat on her bed, staring at herself in the mirror. On the vanity table were three things: a hairbrush, a photograph of her and her parents, and one of Marieta's old athames. The athame was long and silver, with a piece of jade in the pearl handle. Sabrina slowly picked up the knife and turned it over in her hand. Her eyes drifted to the mirror once more, this time inspecting her long, blond hair. It was completely straight, and it shone in the light, a soft gold color. It was too similar to her mother's. She didn't want reminders of her mother. She was weak, clearly, if she'd lost to one wizard . . . but was that all she felt? Perhaps she wasn't willing to acknowledge her sadness . . . Sabrina pushed her traitorous thoughts away, raised the athame, and cut off part of her hair. She cut it to just below her chin, and then she threw the athame into her closet and stared at her reflection once more. Still too much resemblance… And then she knew what to do. Sabrina slipped out of her room and across the hall to Ellie's room. Her eldest cousin, aged 16, was off in Mooshu, studying to be a crafter. Luckily, she'd left most of her hair supplies and makeup behind, and so Sabrina quickly found what she was looking for: green hair dye. She went into the bathroom to finish what she had started._

Sabrina smiled slightly at the memory of her aunt's reaction. Barbara had screamed in shock and demanded to know "Just what in the name of the Minotaurs did you do to your hair?" She had gone on for a while, ranting about how she'd gotten rid of her "absolutely beautiful" hair.

"Sabrina, are you listening to me?" The voice of Professor Drake pulled her out of her thoughts.

"No, sorry. Could you repeat the question," she asked lazily, sitting up a tiny bit higher. The professor sighed, and then nodded.

"What is the amount of damage the first Life Spell does?" She thought for a minute. Life damage? She hadn't paid any attention to that part of the speech, so she named the first thing that came to her head:

"Seventy to one hundred and ten damage." Professor Drake shook her head in exasperation.

"Sabrina, that's how much damage a blood bat does. I was asking for Life, remember? Please stay after class and come talk to me. Now, Destiny, can you please answer the question?"

"Yes, Professor Drake," the dark haired girl answered. "It's an Imp, which does 65 to 105 damage."

"Correct." The professor asked a few more questions, and Sabrina slipped back into her memory world. She was trying to scrape up all the memories of her mother that she could. The young Theurgist would never, EVER tell, but she'd never thought her mother was weak. As a child, she'd idolized Marieta, and she'd wanted to be a Theurgist when she started magic school. When she heard that Marieta was dead, Sabrina had been heartbroken and wanted to cry. In fact, she did cry, but only in the dead of night, when she was sure no one else could hear her anguished sobs. The thought that her mother was still alive put new hope in her heart, but it also made her nervous and scared. If Morganthe was anywhere near as ruthless as the Headmaster made her out to be, Marieta would be in terrible, possibly near-death condition by the time Sabrina reached her, if she wasn't dead already.

_**HALF AN HOUR LATER**_

As the bell sounded, signaling the end of the class, most of the Novices stood up, gathered their books and bags, and departed. Sabrina tossed her pencil into her backpack and stuffed her notebook in next to it, crushed the ugly, pointed hat on her head, and leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed. Professor Drake cleared up her desk for a minute, and then she walked down the stairs to Sabrina's desk.

"Sabrina . . . I knew your mother." Those words took Sabrina by surprise.

"You _what?_" The professor nodded slowly.

"I knew her very well, in fact. We went to school together. We had the same secondary school: Myth. Our dorms were right next door, and when we bought castles, we made sure they were close by, and they were matching. When something happened to one of us, we told the other. When we bought a new mount or pet, the other was the first to meet him or her. When I heard that she was dead, I was devastated. When I found out that she was, in fact, still alive, I was so overjoyed, I wept."

"So, you kept me after class to tell me that you were my mom's best friend?"

"No, not just that. I understand that you don't want to be here, that you wanted to be a Conjurer. I know exactly how you feel about Life. You think that it's a weak school, only useful for healing, and that you have to depend on other wizards to do the fighting." Sabrina was shocked into silence. "I want to show you something. Watch this!" She waved her wand in an arc, and a green light flooded from it, twisting into a ribbon-like leaf shape. As the professor sliced through the leaf, a figure leaped from the tip of her wand.

"Is that . . . a _centaur?"_ Centaurs were myths, weren't they? But sure enough, a half-horse, half-man figure stood in front of her. His horse body was a light fawn color, scarred by many battles. His tail was fiery red, and his long, braided beard matched it. On his head was a silver helmet with a red plume, and he wore a silver shoulder guard over his right shoulder. In his hands was a stout brown bow made of bent oak wood and vines. The centaur made a sweeping bow before Sabrina, who stood there, speechless. He smiled a dazzlingly bright smile.

"Indeed, young Theurgist, I am a centaur."

"Aren't centaurs _myths?" _She immediately felt stupid, but he just grinned wider.

"Of course not. I am currently the strongest attack spell for the School of Life. My spell can do 515 to 595 Life damage."

"595? The MYTH spell can do SEVEN HUNDRED damage," Sabrina scoffed. The centaur seemed crestfallen.

"I must go. I hope I was helpful, Professor."

"You were. Thank you, Centaur," the Theurgist said, smiling warmly. He disappeared in a cloud of leaves and dirt. "He may not do much damage, but as you can see, Life isn't just about healing others. True, it IS a main focus, but Life is about maintaining peace and harmony in the world, which can be done with both fighting and healing. Many Theurgists do go on to become healers, but there have been several in history that have fighting as their main focus. Your mother was one of those."

"There's no way; my mom HATED fighting!"

"Do you remember? When was the last time you saw her, Sabrina?"

"Eight years ago," the Novice muttered in reply. Professor Drake nodded in satisfaction.

"I thought so. Your mother didn't approve of harming innocent creatures, but she would willingly fight evil ones, even enthusiastically. Marieta Jadeleaf was a bit of a strange one."

"Hmm. I still don't want to be a Theurgist."

"Sabrina… you're a very special Theurgist. I haven't seen someone like you in a very, very long time. Let me just point one thing out to you: won't you have to be able to heal if you want to fight Morganthe someday? Think about it! You don't have to travel around the Spiral, joining battles and just healing, but you have to be the best you can in every school you enter. Morganthe is VERY powerful; she won't hesitate to kill you, and so you must be prepared." Slowly, Sabrina nodded.

"I guess you're right. Fine, I'll pay more attention, but only because I have to. Now, can I go to Conjuring Class? I don't want to be late."

"Of course, Sabrina. Thank you for talking with me. Have a nice rest of the day!" She smiled as Sabrina stood and hurried from the building. As she strode next door to the Myth School, Sabrina decided that maybe, just maybe, Professor Drake wasn't so nasty, after all.


	4. Chapter 4: Humiliation BURNS!

_**A/N: **__Thanks for reviewing, scarletfireblaze and sportzdawg! :) You guys are the best! :) _

_**In response to my reviews:**_

_Scarletfireblaze: I'm glad this story is helpful to you! She might be desperate . . . or she might not . . . ;) _

_Sportzdawg: Aww, thanks! That means a lot to hear people say that about my writing. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **__Rwy'n dymuno__Rwy'n__berchen__Wizard101__,__ond dydw i ddim__.__Mae popeth__ond mae fy__cymeriadau__gwreiddiol__a fy__syniadau__yn perthyn i__KingsIsle__. (Google translate loves you! ;) It's Welsh, by the way.)_

_**Thanks to my beta reader, WritingBookworm! :)**_

_**In this chapter:**__ Everybody's favorite professor: Cyrus Drake! XP_

Sabrina smiled as she stepped inside the Myth School. The blue walls patterned with blue eyes were the same style as her bedroom wallpaper, and the immaculately clean room was, by far, more comfortable than the dirty, earthy Life School. She sat down in the front again, this time so she could absorb as much Myth information as she could. Everything about the school was perfect. Everything, that is, except for the teacher.

Professor Cyrus Drake was tall, skinny, and completely bald. He wore a lemon yellow, high collared robe with a blue sash tied tightly around his waist and a line of metal clasps down the front. On his feet were bright blue boots, and tapping against his palm was a long gray stick, which she guessed would work as a wand. Unphased by his overpowering demeanor, she smiled sweetly.

"Hello. You must be Professor Drake. I'm Sabrina Jadeleaf." He stared down at her disgustedly, like she was a bit of dirt he had shaken off the bottom of his boot.

"Wonderful. Another little Wizard trying to play at Conjuring. This is not a School in which we have fun, young Theurgist, but a School where we do real work." Her smile faltered at the sound of his bored, "I could care less" tone.

"I know that I have to work here. I've been reading about Myth since I was five years old; I know that it's one of the hardest and best Schools to be in, and that it takes hard work and dedication to raise my level in this School. I wanted to be a Conjurer, but the Headmaster made a mistake and put me in Life." He held up his hand for her to stop talking.

"Congratulations, and all that, but please be quiet. I have to teach a class. Now, run along and go play in the dirt, or perhaps go heal some REAL Conjurers on Unicorn Way." Professor Drake's face was smug, thinking that he'd gotten rid of her. Sabrina simply set her jaw and crossed her arms, glaring at her new professor.

"I'm not leaving, and I'm NOT a HEALER," she hissed angrily, feeling a deep crimson color creep over her face as the few other students laughed at her. She glared at them fiercely, and a few glared back. Several, however, seemed daunted and looked away, unwilling to play mind games with her.

"Fine, stay. If you fall behind, I shall have no choice but to expell you from the School of Myth," the professor stated, his voice ringing with finality. Sabrina leaned back in her chair and pulled a notebook out of her backpack. She was determined to be the best Conjurer Professor Drake had ever seen, no matter what it required.

_**-PAGE BREAK-**_

Four minutes later, Professor Drake got up in front of the class and began to speak.

"Now that you're FINALLY all here, open your notebooks to a blank page and take out a pen. I expect all of your notes to be in ink, and there will be a weekly notebook check to be sure you've all followed directions. If you do not have a pen, you'll have to remember everything I say and record it later. Now, be sure to pay attention; I'm not going to repeat anything." Sabrina jotted down short notes: All notes in pen. Notebook checks once a week. No repetitions of lectures. If you have no pen, memorize the lecture and take notes later. A shy looking girl with fluffy blond hair raised her hand. The professor nodded to her.

"Should we have a notebook for each School we take, Professor Drake?"

"Yes, Heather, you should. If you don't have one, I expect you to have one next class. Now, we will begin the lecture. Listen carefully and take notes." He launched into a rapidfire speech about the origin of Myth, the colors, symbol and banner shape, and about the Blood Bat, the first spell. Sabrina was scribbling away in her notebook the entire time.

Five minutes later, he finally stopped talking.

"Are you all done with your notes?" The class nodded. "Good. Now, I will ask questions. You will raise your hand to answer each one, and I will choose someone at random. What is the required utensil for taking notes in this class?" The students seemed surprised, not having taken notes at that part of the speech. Sabrina's hand shot up instantly. Professor Drake's eyes passed over disdainfully, but eventually he had no choice but to call on her. "Sabrina?"

"A pen," she replied immediately.

"What is the founding creature of the School of Myth?" Once again, Sabrina's hand was the first one up.

"Sabrina."

"The tribe of nomadic minotaurs living in the mountains of Grizzleheim."

"Correct. What are the colors of Myth?"

"Yellow and royal blue."

"What was the first spell invented?"

"The Minotaur, which was used to summon the spirits of their dead ancestors to attack their targets, who were often attacking wolf tribes."

"How much damage does the first Myth spell take?"

"70 to 110, which is done by a blood bat, a kind of rabid, fanged, light brown bat that originated in Mooshu." It went on that way for several more questions. The professor would give her a question, she would fire back an answer.

"Fine. You've exhausted my supply of questions. You will be the first to demonstrate a blood bat spell." He threw a card onto Sabrina's desk, and she picked it up as she drew her wand. Carefully, she drew the Myth symbol (a Krokotopian eye) and tapped the card, pointing to Professor Drake with her wand. The blood bat sprang out and flew at the professor, cackling gleefully. He ran, dashing in circles around the room while swatting at the bat with his wand. The entire class roared with laughter, and no one laughed harder than Sabrina.

"I guess I'm worthy of being a Conjurer, huh, Professor Drake?" She shouted to the professor. He glared at her as he whacked her blood bat on the head.

"SABRINA JADELEAF," he yelled, but didn't get to finish his sentence. The blood bat had latched onto his arm. Sabrina just laughed harder.

_**A/N: **__Woohoo! I wish I could do that in the game! XD_


	5. Chapter 5: LE GASP! And Other Bad News

_**A/N: **__Wow! I had no idea that humiliating Cyrus would be so popular! Thanks to all my reviewers: Scarlet SilverWeaver, sportzdawg, scarletfireblze, lunarphase, nova123, SeverinadeStrango, dfg and Hawkstar! You guys rock! :D Also, sorry about the long wait for chapter five; life has not been kind lately, time wise. O_O ("Life" here having the meaning of "School.")_

_In response to my reviews:_

_Scarlet SilverWeaver: Hah, that's hysterical! I love Forest Lord; every time I see him, I yell "Chewbacca!" XD You've got some good guesses about Sabrina, and most are correct. Are you sure you're not eavesdropping on my thoughts? __***Looks around suspiciously***__ :D_

_Sportzdawg: Thanks once again for another review! :D_

_Scarletfireblaze: I'm glad you were amused! I laughed SO hard when I was writing that. :) Thanks for the notice; I'll change that as soon as I get time. And don't worry; any time I get constructive criticism, I jump up and down and clap. :) It doesn't sound like nagging at all, more like very helpful advice. :) I'll try and update Liar, Liar. My Muse is slowly drifting back that way, although I have to work on Destiny of Fire's Song first. :)_

_Hawkstar: I loved writing this; I was so hoping that my readers would be laughing, too, and it seems that they were. Thanks! :)_

_SeverinadeStrango: I agree completely. XD Death powns all._

The incident cost Sabrina a week of detention, but, as the Theurgist decided later, it was well worth it. After all, detentions had to be served with one's first school teacher, no matter who had given the detention.

Professor Sylvia hadn't seemed angry in the slightest; if anything, she seemed rather amused, although she'd pretended to be stern with Sabrina. Later, as she'd been chatting with her husband, she'd remarked loudly,

"I personally think he deserved to be taken down a peg or two. Your brother is far too strict with his students; no wonder more students drop out of Myth than any other school." As Sabrina had passed, the Life Professor had winked.

For the most part, the two simply chatted during the detentions, or Sylvia helped Sabrina with any homework questions the novice had. Theurgy turned out to be surprisingly difficult, and there was much more depth to the School than Sabrina had originally thought. It did not mean that she liked it, by any means; rather, the novice Theurgist slowly gained a grudging respect for the subject. It would be many years before she learned to like her school, if she did at all.

**-SIX YEARS LATER-**

Alexandra Firesong, Sabrina's rival since apprentice hood, seemed distracted. Usually, the Legendary Necromancer was focused and emotionless during their duels, ignoring any of Sabrina's taunts. This day, however, she was distracted and nervous, perhaps a bit worried as well.

"Hey, what's up with you today, Master of No Emotion?" The taunt was meant in a playful way, for once, but Alex shot her a harsh glare before selecting her card. The skeletal dragon roared at her before stealing away the last of her health, and Sabrina nodded, accepting her defeat. Instead of stopping to chat, Alexandra stormed out of the arena, shoving her cutlass into her sheath with such force, the resounding _snap _echoed throughout the Arena. The Theurgist hurried after her rival.

"Stop following me," the Necromancer snapped as she strode towards the Arena's dragon hold.

"No, I'm serious, Alex! What's up?" Sabrina was surprised that she felt any sort of concern for Alex; after all the rude comments and arguments the two had exchanged, they felt more like enemies than rivals most of the time.

"Why would you care?" Alex stopped beside her dragon and began untying the leather strap that kept the dragon from flying off.

"Because you're never this angry, you didn't stop to mock me for losing to you, you didn't cast a single wraith that entire battle and you lost control of your emotions during. Oh, and you barely acknowledged me before we began." Sabrina ticked off the points on her fingers.

"Sylvia's dead! Okay? She's dead!" Alex finally exploded, throwing down the leather strap she was fiddling with. "She got a cold, it didn't get better, and now she's dead!"

"What?" Sabrina gasped, pressing a hand to her heart in shock. Her favorite teacher … dead? That's when she remembered: Sylvia was Alexandra's mother. It would be far, far worse for the Necromancer. "Oh, my gosh … I'm so sorry … I didn't know …" she trailed off as she realized that Alex had tuned her out and gone back to untying her dragon. "I'm so sorry," she repeated lamely, taking a step back as Alex turned her head slightly. Her silver eyes were dull and blank, the deficit of expression much scarier than her angry, surprisingly enough. Without another word, she turned back to the dragon.

_**A/N: **__YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY! We've reached the turning point and switched to age 17! :D This is the first back-story in which I've managed to do that so far. XD That chapter was much shorter than I would have liked, though … if I get any more ideas for it, I'll re-write it at some point later. Speaking of which, I'm re-writing the first four chapters, and I'll post in the summary when they're updated._


	6. Chapter 6: To Mooshu and Back Again

Sabrina had only one thing on her mind as she slowly walked out of the Arena: her mother. The death of Sylvia had severed the last and only connection she'd had to Marieta Jadeleaf, as well as the death of a friend. The Life Professor had been Sabrina's only friend in Ravenwood, since she didn't count Alexandra and HER friends. The Legendary Theurgist wasn't sure what to think as she wandered through the Commons.

Several people tried to speak to her, but she brushed them away. One or two threw her a sympathetic glance, which she returned with an emotionless stare. She had to think … where was there for her to go? What could she do?

The solution was rather obvious, really, although she'd been avoiding it. The best thing she could do would be to leave, at least temporarily, and let things heal in Ravenwood. She would be of no help, and until a replacement Life Professor was found, there was no point in attending school. So, Sabrina returned to her dorm room and wrote out a letter to the Headmaster.

_Dear Headmaster Ambrose:_

_Due to the death of Professor Sylvia Drake, I will be temporarily leaving Ravenwood. I'm heading back to Mooshu to stay with my aunt again. I'm not sure when I will be back, but please don't expect it to be soon. If you could let me know when you've found a new Life Professor or when I am needed back, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks._

_Sincerely, Sabrina Jadeleaf. _

She had mailed the letter, packed what few things she needed, and headed immediately for the Spiral Door. For a brief moment, she'd considered telling her dueling partner what she was planning on doing, but then decided against it. The Necromancer had enough problems of her own to deal with, and she'd hardly care about Sabrina's decision to go to Mooshu.

-V-

"Hey, Aunt Barbara. I'm home," Sabrina called tiredly, dropping her bag on the floor of the small house. The small, plump woman bustled out of the kitchen immediately, drying her hands on a towel.

"Sabrina! Welcome home, dear!" She pulled her niece closer for one of her bone- crushing hugs. "It's lovely to see you again, little Miss Legendary! How's school been?" The Theurgist shrugged.

"Was fine. I quit. Only temporarily," she added hastily, seeing her aunt's expression, "but I really needed a break, and it's not like I'm going to be learning anything for a while."

"Hmm? And why is that, Sabrina?"

"Sylvia's dead," she replied shortly. Barbara gasped, but before she could say anything, Sabrina turned and stepped outside. "I'm going to see Mom."

Sabrina knew that her mother was alive- but the rest of Mooshu didn't, and even if they had, it wouldn't have stopped them from erecting a "memorial grave" in memory of brave Marieta Jadeleaf. Over the years, Sabrina had visited it many times, pretending like she was speaking to her mother when she spoke to the grave.

The gravestone was in the shape of an angel extending its hands, in which the Mooshuese symbols of peace and safety were settled. The angel's face was the exact replica of Marieta's, and Sabrina's heart nearly broke as she stared at the beautiful statue.

"Hey, Mom. I know you can't hear me, but I guess it helps a little, knowing that you're alive. Sylvia's dead now. She caught a cold or something … I don't know all the details. I'm taking a break from Ravenwood for now, since there's nothing I can do there, so I'm staying with Aunt Barbara again. I'm still studying hard, though, just like you always told me." She swallowed. "I'm gonna find you some day, Mom. I'll find you, and I'll kill Morganthe myself for keeping you captive. I swear I'll find you and save your life." Her voice descended into a fierce whisper. "I'll kill the witch … she will never hurt you again once I find you, I swear it." Sabrina broke off as tears welled up in her eyes, causing her to choke. "I love you, Mommy … I love you so much, and I want to rescue you. I promise I'll never forget to save you." The tears were spilling out of her eyes now, and her cheeks were wet as she cried. The Theurgist cried and cried, pressing her face into her hands.

-V-

It would be several weeks before Sabrina returned to Ravenwood. The new Life Professor, an old friend of Barbara's, in fact, was an excellent teacher, but she couldn't compare to Sylvia. Professor Moolinda Wu taught very differently … instead of focusing on the techniques of Theurgy, she taught about the song of Life- the very fundamentals of the magic. Professor Wu strengthened the core magic of her students before she was willing to teach them the harder spells. It was important, Sabrina admitted grudgingly, but boring.

She didn't even realize that Alexandra was missing until she went to find her. It had been weeks since their last duel, and the Theurgist wanted to talk to her dueling partner. Alex wasn't at her castle, she wasn't in the School of Death- which had been tossed unceremoniously into Nightside- and she wasn't even in the library, surprisingly. Sabrina returned to the Death School after searching nearly everywhere. Dworgyn, the old hunchback, was the only one there when she arrived.

"Hello, Dworgyn. Have you seen Alexandra Firesong anywhere?" She asked. The hunchback gave her an odd look.

"Why yes, I have. I've seen her here, in the Death School, and I've also seen her in Ravenwood, and in the Commons and Olde Town. She's in the library quite a lot, you know, little Theurgist. Medium height, black hair, rather interesting silver eyes. She wears a lot of black and white together; such a lovely color combination." He smiled.

"I mean, do you know where she is _now?" _She snapped irritably. Dworgyn motioned for her to calm down.

"Your temper is awfully short, young Theurgist. Miss Firesong may be anywhere; for all I know, she could be on the moon!" He laughed.

"What do you know, hunchback?" She shouted.

"The Necromancer's gone after the other Necromancer, of course! What else would she be doing?" He gave a disturbing little chuckle and disappeared in a black fog. Sabrina cursed as she stormed out of Nightside. Stupid hunchback …


	7. Chapter 7: NecroHunt

_**A/N: **__Thanks to scarletfireblaze for the review! Mooshu is kind of like ancient Japan, although there are cows, goats, horses and pigs instead of people. If you Google it, there are lots of really good pictures. :)_

_**Thanks to my beta reader, Starwhisker of Thunderclan! :)**  
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Headmaster Ambrose. He would know where Alex had gone, of course. Sabrina strode purposefully towards the Commons, brushing past crowds of wizards. She glared at anyone who got in her way, instantly frightening them away.

The Theurgist marched into the Headmaster's office, banging open the door and pushing aside a group of novices.

"Headmaster Ambrose, do you know where Alexandra Firesong is?" She asked loudly. He looked up at her tiredly.

"I really am busy, my dear. Could this wait-"

"No! I need to know where she is _now!" _Sabrina demanded. Headmaster Ambrose sighed.

"Well, young Sabrina, she's gone off on a quest."

"WHAT?"

"Yes. About a week ago, she reported that several of her pets were taken captive- not just any pets, however. Her wraith, ghost and dark sprite were stolen, and as her best- trained pets, they could prove extremely dangerous if their full power is unleashed."

"Really."

"Indeed, young wizard. She also received a note from someone named 'Moira Moonchaser,' explaining that the pets were being turned into very powerful servants of Malistaire. They are to be used to overthrow Wizard City. Young Alexandra has gone off with a group of her friends to track down her pets, and to stop the plans of Moira and Malistaire before it is too late. I'm not sure where they are at this moment, but the group was leaving for Unicorn Way. I have not heard from them yet, regrettably."

"Fabulous," she groaned. "They could be _anywhere _by now!" The Headmaster nodded gravely.

"I'm afraid so, young wizard. You will have to track them from Unicorn Way if you wish to find them."

"Well, then, I guess I'd better get going. I'll join them if they're on a quest to save the city," she decided. Headmaster Ambrose smiled.

"I am quite sure that they will appreciate your help, Sabrina. You have my thanks, and I will be happy to offer you any assistance that I can. May I suggest you speak with Lady Oriel first? She may know something." The Theurgist nodded.

"I'll do that. Thanks." With a small wave, she hurried out of his office.

-V-

Despite her impatience, Sabrina knew better than to demand answers of Lady Oriel. The seraph may have been a peaceful guardian of the Hedge Maze, but she could have quite easily killed Sabrina if she wanted to. Speaking to her required patience and respect, no matter what the circumstances were.

However, the Theurgist had never seen the seraph acting quite as strangely as she was at that moment. Lady Oriel was kneeling in the center of the Maze, her head bowed in- was it sorrow? Shame, maybe? Her usually- perfect golden curls were hanging in a limp mess around her shoulders, and the seraph's silver crown and sword lay on the ground beside her. She held something in her cupped hands, and her shoulders were shaking, as though she was crying.

"Lady Oriel!" Sabrina threw caution to the wind and ran towards where the seraph knelt. "Lady Oriel! What's wrong?" She gasped, crouching so she was nearly eye- to- eye with the Hedge Maze guardian.

"I've- failed my duties," Lady Oriel sobbed, clutching the thing in her hands closer to her stomach. "I've- I've failed the fairies … the Hedge Maze … everything!"

"What do you mean?"

"Look!" She held out her hands, and Sabrina recoiled in horror. In the seraph's cupped hands lay a dead fairy. The Theurgist didn't see any signs of a wound, which meant- "Her soul was stolen!"

"Who did this?" the Theurgist yelled, gripping her wand tightly in anger. "I'll kill them myself!"

"It was … Rattlebones," Lady Oriel whispered. "He's done this to many of my fairies … they're dying as we speak. Nothing I do can protect against his magic. He casts spells from far beyond these walls … they find their way in through cracks in the stone, and they attack my fairies!" She began to cry harder.

"He's not going to get away with this," Sabrina snapped, wrenching the seraph's head up so she was staring at into the Theurgist's eyes. "You have two choices: either you stay here and protect the fairies as best you can, or you come with me, and we'll destroy that skeleton together." Lady Oriel remained silent, staring tearfully at the fairy in her hands.

"I … I cannot leave my fairies unburied … it would be like I'm giving up on them," she finally answered.

"You'd be leaving them to _save the lives of the other ones,_" Sabrina reminded her. "If you're not going to come along, I'll kill that skeleton by myself. I'll also see if there's any way to save the fairies that have already had their souls stolen." The Theurgist spun on her heel and strode out of the Hedge Maze, whistling to her white mare as she pulled the doors open. Stella came galloping up to her, and Sabrina pulled herself onto the horse's back. "Take me to Rattlebones's tower," she ordered Stella, who pawed the ground, snorted and took off down the street.

The ride wasn't a horribly long one; just down the street and around the corner, really. Being a proud, arrogant and cocky skeleton, the tower was very obviously his. Bones littered the front green, and there were two burning torches beside the door. A sign over the large wooden door proudly proclaimed, "_Rattlebones, Lord of Unicorn Way." _

"Pfft, yeah right. He's not even the lord of his own kneecap," Sabrina snorted, rolling her eyes as she dismounted. "Wait here, Stella." The horse nodded, and the Theurgist pulled her wand from her belt, striding towards the door. She slipped inside, pulling the door shut behind her as quietly as she could. Seated in a huge golden throne was the skeleton in question. A scarlet cloak was thrown around his bony shoulders, and a gold crown sat lopsidedly on his head. Sabrina couldn't be sure, but she thought that he grinned as she stepped inside.

"Welcome, foolish one! You dare to challenge Lord Rattlebones?" He laughed. Sabrina glared at him.

"You're the stupid one. I hope you're aware that you've caused grief to the Guardian of the Hedge Maze. No one survives crossing Lady Oriel." She held up her wand like a sword, waving it threateningly. "You're finished, Rattlebones. After today, you won't ever harm another fairy." With a smirk, the skeleton stood up from his throne, shrugging off his cloak as he did so. Rattlebones drew a long, sharply curved scimitar from his belt and took three steps towards her.

"If that is the case, wizard, en garde!"

_**A/N: **__To those of you that are Wizard101 purists, I'm aware that Rattlebones doesn't REALLY look like that; it's a characterization device. _


	8. Chapter 8: Seraph to the Rescue

_**A/N: **__Thanks to Gishki and Coderrafan4 for le reviews! X)_

The skeleton was tougher than Sabrina had expected, but she fought back just as hard. Rattlebones played high level death spells without batting an eye, laughing as he carved Death symbols into the air. He tossed skeletal dragons and wraiths at the Theurgist. He attacked her with his scimitar and with bolts of dark energy. Sabrina only grew angrier, casting stronger and stronger spells when she got the chance. Rattlebones barely flinched as she cast a minotaur on him. The really infuriating part about the duel was that an irritating smirk never left the skeleton's face.

"Face facts, girl- you'll never beat me!" He laughed, casting yet another wraith. Sabrina growled deep in her throat, but she knew that he was right- the skeleton's health had barely gone down at all since the duel began. She didn't respond to the taunt- her reply would have been too profane for the human mind to comprehend- and instead chose to continue pelting the skeleton with attacks. Surely he would run out of cards eventually …

He never did. For what felt like hours, he threw attack spells and insults at Sabrina, and she tried her hardest to refrain from screaming at him. Slowly but surely, though, Rattlebones began to gain the upper hand. He never needed to heal- the Death spells did that for him- and with his continuous stream of attacks, Sabrina quickly found herself healing more than she would have liked to be.

Despite her efforts, the Theurgist's health was slowly dropping. She was gasping for breath and having trouble drawing her Life Symbol, and the infuriating skeleton was still smirking at her. Sabrina was on the verge of unconsciousness when her savior arrived.

A glow of green filled her vision, and she heard a soft voice speaking to her. A sudden rush of energy filled her, and the Theurgist realized that her health had been refilled. She glanced over to her left, and there was Lady Oriel, back in her finery and looking ready to tear Rattlebones to pieces. The seraph held her glowing white blade tightly, and she was pointing it at the skeleton.

"You have committed an act of treachery worthy of death, you beast," she hissed angrily. Her green eyes flashed as Rattlebones grinned cockily.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but someone already beat you to it." He gestured to his revealed ribcage.

"Then you shall suffer tenfold in your second death," the seraph spat, holding her blade aloft. "Young Theurgist, take care of yourself; my fairy will not return you to full health. I will handle this fiend." Sabrina nodded, still trying to recover her breath. She played a unicorn on herself and watched Lady Oriel in awe. The seraph appeared in front of Rattlebones before he could blink, and she brought her sword down with a flash, severing his arm from his shoulder. Another swing and he lost a foot. She glared at the skeleton as she pointed her blade at the center of his ribcage, and a pure white fire exploded from the tip of the sword, weaving its way into him.

Rattlebones howled in pain. Sabrina had been waiting for that exact sound since she begun the duel, and she smiled in satisfaction as the skeleton burst into dust, leaving behind only the crown.

"That was … impressive," the Theurgist remarked, nudging the pile of dust with her toe.

"You were right, young Sabrina," Lady Oriel replied, sheathing her sword. "There was nothing I could do for the fairies back in the Hedge Maze, and by staying there I was only watching their demise. It seems like you needed help, anyways." She smiled slightly.

"Let's check this place out; maybe there's a way to save the fairies." Sabrina headed over towards the large desk in the back of the room. She flipped through a stack of papers- all of them were orders for food. She frowned. "Food orders … I thought skeletons didn't eat."

"They do not," the seraph replied. "There are letters of instruction here, and I believe he was working to supply and army for … someone. I'm not entirely sure who. These letters are marked 'Lord N,' but there are no lords in Wizard City, as far as I know."

"Lord N …"

"Ah, here's a name. Lord Nightshade." Sabrina dropped the book she was holding with a _bang._

"Nightshade? Alexandra's pet wraith is named Nightshade!" Realizing the connection, she quickly picked up the book again and flipped to the tagged page. "Look at this, my lady. I think I've found out what he was up to." The seraph flew over to Sabrina and peered over her shoulder at the book.

"Oh, no … this is awful!" The page that had been marked instructed the reader on how to corrupt souls. First they were stolen, leaving behind a nonliving shell. The soul had to be held in a dark prison for one day, and then it was returned to the body. The creature would live again as an evil being, and the process was completely irreversible once the souls were corrupted.

"We have to find where he was keeping the fairy souls _now. _There's no telling how long they've been in the prison already!" Lady Oriel held her sword out, point down, and she spoke a single word in a language Sabrina didn't know. The sword point glowed green, and a beam of light shot out of it.

"Follow the beam of light. It will lead you to my fairies," she told Sabrina. "I must stay here in order to keep the spell working. Hurry!" The Legendary didn't need to be told twice. She sprinted after the beam of light, following it up a flight of stairs and into the tower attic.

Bone cages woven with darkness hung from every available inch of the attic. They covered the floor, they hung from the rafters, and some had even been suspended in midair. When Sabrina peered inside one, she saw a see- through copy of a fairy's body. She quickly slammed the end of her staff into the side of the cage, shattering it instantly.

"I guess dark prisons weren't made to resist Life magic," she remarked to herself, grinning ruefully as she watched the soul fly away, probably back to its rightful owner. She quickly broke open the other cages, each of which disappeared soon after being opened. As soon as the last fairy soul was freed, Sabrina ran back down the stairs to where Lady Oriel was waiting. "They're all free, every one of them!" She reported.

"Praise the light," the seraph breathed, releasing the spell and sheathing her sword once again. "We must return to the Hedge Maze immediately; the fairies will be awaiting me."

"I can't come, Lady Oriel," Sabrina apologized. "I've got to find Alexandra Firesong."

"The Firesong girl? I haven't spoken to them in many months, but I have heard news from Ceren Nightchant. He saw Alexandra and a large group of her friends in Unicorn Way just a few days ago. They were hunting for the Krokotopia Spiral Key."

"Thank you so much, Lady Oriel!" The Theurgist bowed to the seraph and then sprinted outside, pulled herself into Stella's saddle, and galloped towards Ravenwood.


	9. Chapter 9: Into the Fire

_**A/N: **__Thanks to all of you for your patience; I'm sorry that I'm taking so long between updates. Unfortunately, that's not going to change too much for a while. Since this fic isn't my top priority at the moment, I can only update it once a month until I've got at least two others done. This story will be my focus once The Destiny of Fire's Song is done, but until then, thanks again for being so patient with me :)_

Sabrina rode hard all the way to the Spiral Door. She tapped the Krokotopia Key with her tall oak staff, noticing how new the Key looked- as though it had just recently been installed. Alexandra and her group had been here recently. The Theurgist stepped through the glowing portal, closing her eyes as the brightness surrounded her.

When she took another step forwards, Sabrina was in Krokotopia. She felt the familiar (not to mention uncomfortable) hot air blowing in her face, bringing plenty of sand with it. The Theurgist winced as the sand stung her eyes, and she quickly slipped on a pair of sunglasses she had in her backpack. The blinding sunlight was no longer quite so blinding, and she was able to look around at her surroundings. The towering sandstone buildings could almost have been called majestic, if she cared for ancient Krokotopian architecture. The walls were covered in hundreds of ancient hieroglyphics, and statues of kroks were scattered around the area. Sabrina frowned as she stepped off the stone path and onto the sand, grimacing as her foot sank slightly into the hot sand.

A few dozen younger wizards- none of them over adept- were wandering throughout the Oasis, exchanging chatter in cheerful voices and trading items. Nearly all of them were garbed in the traditional Krokotopian clothing: light colored robes made of white or tan cotton, sandals that laced up to their knees and various headpieces that served to keep the sun out of their eyes while simultaneously shielding the backs of their necks from the punishingly hot sun. Sabrina was- unfortunately- rather poorly equipped for the desert world; she'd been unlucky enough to wear her more formal Legendary uniform. Although it clearly proclaimed her superiority above everyone else in Krokotopia, the long sleeved robe and heavy cape only served to make her hotter and grumpier. She snapped at a few Journeymen as she rode through the Oasis. She tugged on Stella's reins, stopping just in front of the Sergeant Major Talbot.

"Why, hello there, young wizard! What can I do for you on this fine day?" He asked cheerfully.

"I'm looking for Alexandra Firesong. Have you seen her? She's with a pretty big group; they should be kind of hard to miss."

"Yes, I believe I _did _see them … they came through here not fifteen minutes ago. They were heading into the Pyramid of the Sun to help free the Manders." Sabrina wrinkled her nose.

"Freeing the Manders?"

"Yes, of course."

"Why would they be freeing the _Manders? _I mean, it's great that they're being nice, and all, but I thought they'd be doing something a little more … well, important, I guess."

"Well, they _did _mention someone called 'Malistaire,' if that means anything to you. I've heard a few of the free Manders whispering about him, but I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid."

"Yeah, whatever. Thanks for the help." She rode across the sandy Oasis to the Pyramid of the Sun. She groaned when she stepped inside, feeling the wave of hot, dry air blowing through the large structure. She should have known that it wouldn't be any cooler inside … after all, it was a _Fire _pyramid. Stella slowed to a walk, shaking her head uncomfortably. She reared suddenly, nearly tossing her rider. "Hey, Stella! Whoa! What are you doing?" She yelled, pulling hard on the mare's reins.

"It would seem that she is afraid of me," a soft voice purred. Stella stood completely still, her eyes wide with shock. Slowly, Sabrina looked around her mare. A tall girl dressed entirely in black stood before the Theurgist. She wore a black hood that covered her nose and mouth, but Sabrina could see her red eyes gleaming in the torchlight.

"Who- who are you?" The Theurgist asked, suddenly feeling afraid of this newcomer. She raised her staff threateningly. "Don't come any closer or I'll use this!"

"But … dear Sabrina, I am a friend. I mean you no harm; I only wish to help you." As she listened to the strange girl's voice, Sabrina felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. She relaxed and lowered her staff; this was no enemy, but someone who was friendly.

"What do you want?" She asked, but her voice was no longer irritated or angry. "Who are you?"

"I am Romia," the girl replied. "I have a way to help you get your mother back." Sabrina stared at her in shock.

"What?" The Theurgist gasped. "How? Morganthe has her; they could be anywhere!"

"I know many things, and one of those things is the exact location of Morganthe's fortress. I could bring you there, and we could rescue your mother, just the two of us. We could save her." Sabrina felt strangely sleepy all of a sudden.

"Yeah … we could do that! How do I help?" Romia smiled.

"That is very simple, Sabrina. All you must do is follow Alexandra Firesong and her group. Join them if you can, and stay with them. I will come to you when I am ready. Oh, and one more thing … do not, under any circumstances, mention me to Alexandra or anyone in her group. They will attempt to stop us from saving your mother; they don't know the good I can do to help." Sabrina nodded dumbly, smiling broadly at Romia.

"Thanks, Romia. I'll do that. I'll follow them."

"And you won't mention me?"

"No, I won't say a word of you to Alex."

"Perfect …"


	10. Chapter 10: Disappear

_**A/N: **__I just realized how badly I need to redraw this story's cover picture … xp It stinks. I rushed while drawing it, I think. I really should do that soon. _

_In response to my reviews …_

_Tillyhoo: Why yes. Yes I am. XD I haven't been able to update recently since I've been busy, but I'm still working on this. :D_

She had to push Stella hard, but Sabrina eventually caught up with Alexandra and her group inside the Pyramid of Fire.

"Hey! Were you guys attempting to ditch me or something?" She called loudly. The Necromancer turned towards her slightly.

"Sabrina? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Looking for _you_, stupid! What do you _think _I'm doing here?" Sabrina crossed her arms and glared. "I have been hunting for you and your friends for the past _week!_" Alexandra seemed confused.

"Why? What's so important that you couldn't send me a message, or something? Did you really have to chase us to Krokotopia?"

"I want to come with you," the Theurgist informed her, glaring harder. "Besides, if I help you, you'll have to help me later."

"She couldn't just come out and say she needed our help?" One of Alexandra's friends- Erica Bluestone, maybe?- whispered to Brooke Swiftriver, a Diviner, who chuckled. Alex sighed.

"Fine. Whatever. You can tag along, I guess, but don't get in the way, don't do anything stupid, and don't mess up our plans. Got it?"

"Well, obviously. You seem to think that I'm some kind of stupid, helpless little weakling. Must I remind you that I've beaten you in a duel on more than one occasion?" Sabrina snapped. The Necromancer pointedly ignored her as she mounted her dragon.

"We're g-going to the Excavation R-room, Sabrina," Heather Rosegem (a Conjurer) informed the Theurgist. "We've g-got to t-talk to Malcom D-danforth. He can help us g-get into the Th-throne Room of F-fire."

"I know the fastest way there," Sabrina informed the group, immediately turning Stella to the right and galloping down the hallway.

"Who put _her _in charge?" She heard Destiny Greenblossom whisper, but she ignored the other Theurgist.

-V-

It didn't take long to locate Malcom Danforth, who instructed them on how to enter the Throne Room of Fire. Alexandra brought Destiny, Ashley and Brooke with her to search for half of the key, and she sent Sabrina with Evan, Donna, Erica and Heather to retrieve the other half.

"What exactly does this thing look like?" The Theurgist asked as they rode towards the room where the key piece was supposed to be.

"It's a half circle that glows faintly," Erica informed her. "It shouldn't be too hard to find, although it might be buried. Danforth said that it should be at the Royal Hall dig site."

"Buried? As in, underneath the dirt?" Sabrina looked down at the sand in disgust.

"Generally that's where things are buried, genius," Evan remarked dryly.

"Well, in that case, someone else can get it." She wrinkled her nose disdainfully and looked away from the dirty ground.

As the five of them rode through the busy, boiling hot pyramid, Sabrina's thoughts drifted back to Romia's words. _I have a way to help you get your mother back. _Mother … Marieta Jadeleaf had been gone since Sabrina was three. She wasn't even sure she remembered what her mother's face looked like or how her voice sounded. She frowned. What if she saw her mother and didn't even recognize her? That would be awful; they might pass each other on the street and never know each other!

"Nice horse," a voice called, interrupting her thinking. Sabrina looked up to see a green haired boy on a white mare almost identical to her own Stella. The Theurgist sneered at the other wizard and looked ahead towards her destination: the excavation.

The dig site was no less hot, but much brighter than the ancient hallways of the Pyramid of Fire. There was a slight airflow, and Sabrina almost smiled when the faint breeze ruffled her hair. She tossed back her thick, heavy hood to relieve her head of the stifling temperatures beneath the hood. The Theurgist gave the large room a quick glance. Not spying anything that looked useful, she shrugged and began digging through her backpack.

"Sabrina, come on! You've gotta at least help us _look_ for the key piece, even if you aren't gonna help dig," Donna called, waving to her from where she sat astride her tiger mount.

"No need! I f-found it," Heather called, kneeling in the sand near a wall. She pulled the glowing half circle out of the dirt and brushed it clean with her sleeve. "Here, Erica. You sh-should hold it." She tossed the key piece to the Thaumaturge, who admired it for a moment before tucking it into her book bag.

"Good job, Heather." She grinned at the Conjurer, who smiled back. "We'd better get back to where Malcom Danforth is; he said he could put the key back together, and Alex's group might be back already."

The Necromancer and her group weren't back yet. Erica gave the key piece to Danforth, who carefully inspected it for flaws.

"Excellent. It looks like this was a perfectly even break, which will make the repair much easier. Oh, look! There are your friends now!" He pointed down the hallway. Sure enough, Sabrina could just see Alexandra on her black dragon, and her other friends were not far behind.

When the Necromancer stopped beside them, she tossed her key half to Malcom Danforth. He caught it (with some difficulty) and set the two pieces side by side on his desk. He carefully applied a thin layer of shimmering silver glue to the broken side of each piece and then carefully pushed them together. There was a small flash of light, and when it dimmed, the keystone was whole once again, and it was glowing twice as bright as before. Danforth smiled and handed it to Alexandra, who took it silently.

"Thank you very much, sir," Erica said loudly, glaring at the Necromancer, who ignored her.

"Let's go."

-V-

The group split up once again once they were inside the Throne Room. To discover Malistaire's plans, they would need to speak with the Order of the Fang. To find the Order, they had to find two halves of a staff: the shaft and the head. Sabrina had been sent with Evan, Erica, Heather and Donna once again to search for the head.

As Erica was looking through a large wooden chest, she gasped and sat straight up.

"Did you find it?" Evan asked her.

"No … Alex and the others are in trouble! They're trapped in one of the smaller chambers, and it's on fire! Apparently their Thaumaturgy isn't working; it's some kind of magic fire!" The Thaumaturge jumped to her feet and quickly climbed onto her blue dragon's back. "Come on!" She called. Sabrina grabbed a large green emerald surrounded in a golden wreath.

"I found the head," she called, but the others weren't paying attention. The Theurgist frowned, stuffed the head into her pocket and climbed into Stella's saddle. "Go on, Stella. After them." The horse ran.

Erica hadn't been kidding when she said "magic fire." Sabrina could feel the evil radiating from the flames as they entered the tunnel.

"You three, stay back. Donna and I will handle this," Evan told them, jumping off his nightflame pegasus and casting a Fire Shield. Donna cast a second Shield and ran into the flames, clearly shuddering as she put weight on her bad leg. Ashley, Alex, Destiny and Evan emerged from the cursed fire a moment later, coughing up smoke and tightly clutching Fire Shields. Donna and Brooke weren't there, however. If Sabrina squinted, she could just barely see two figures through the flames. The Pyromancer girl was struggling to pull her unconscious friend out of the room, and her limp had gotten worse; clearly her leg hadn't appreciated the running.

"Ashley!" Donna yelled. The Thaumaturge took one last gulp of fresh air, picked up her Shield and darted back into the flames. Destiny went with her. Donna let them take Brooke, and she quickly cast a pair of helephants to hold the wobbling doorway up. The cursed fire had weakened the arch's supports, and it would very likely come crashing down any moment. If Donna was to lose consciousness, the helephants would be gone and the way out would be gone. Sabrina closed her eyes and begged the Dragon Titan to keep the crippled Pyromancer safe.

After Ashley and Destiny got Brooke to safety, Sabrina dismounted and went to help heal the unconscious Diviner. None of them saw the dark shape creeping up behind Donna. None of them saw as the shape slammed something into the back of the Pyromancer's head. All of them heard the wailing screams the helephants gave as they were sucked back into their own plane of existence, and they all saw as the doorway gave out, crumbling to pieces and trapping Donna within the room.

Brooke was only slightly awake, and she gave a faint moan. "Donna," she whispered. Heather immediately summoned a gigantic orthrus, who began digging furiously in the rocks and clearing a pathway.

_Sabrina. _The Theurgist looked up in surprise when she heard her name. No one was looking at her, but she knew that someone had called to her.

_Sabrina_. There it was again! She stood and took a few steps back towards the exit. None of the group noticed her, and Sabrina saw a dark, shady looking person standing at the end of the tunnel.

"Romia?" She asked.

"Are you ready, Sabrina? Are you ready to go to your mother?" Romia asked. Sabrina smiled and nodded.

"Yeah … is it time to go?"

"Yes. Come with me, Sabrina Jadeleaf, and we will go to your mother." She held out a gloved hand to the Theurgist, who took a step towards her.

"Sabrina? Where are you going?" Ashley had noticed.

"To find my mother," Sabrina replied dreamily, walking towards Romia.

"Who are _you_?" The Thaumaturge looked suspiciously at the hooded girl.

"Quickly, Sabrina! Hurry!" Romia's voice had taken on an urgent tone, and Sabrina walked faster.

"Sabrina, stop! That's Moi-" The Theurgist had already taken Romia's hand, and with a flash of light, Krokotopia dissolved.


End file.
